Slings used for lifting heavy pipe sections are usually wire cable slings. To lift a pipe section, the end of the sling cable is passed through an aperture in the wall of the pipe located centrally along the length of the pipe section. In prior art arrangements the end of the sling is secured at the inside wall of the pipe section such as with fingers or vanes which extend radially outwardly from the cable following entrance through the wall aperture. In other arrangements, lift plate members larger in size than the diameter of the aperture can be secured to the end of the cable following entry through the pipe wall. The cable is then drawn upwardly, such as with a crane, to lift the pipe section. One such arrangement involves placement of a short handled slotted flat lift plate in surrounding relation with a cable above a lift ferrule at its end. Thus when the sling is lifted the ferrule bears against the lift plate which in turn bears against the interior wall surface of the pipe section as it is being lifted. In utilizing such arrangements for lifting pipe sections, the radially extending lift devices frequently damagingly gouge into the interior wall of the pipe adjacent the lift aperture.